Fire-proof ceiling



(No Modem P. M'. BRUNER. FIRE PROOF GBILING.

Patented Peb. 16, 1892.

me nomme. ravens co., morufumol. wAsumn'mn, o. c.

NITED STATES PATENTS-Ormes.

PRESTON IWI. BRUNER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

FIRE-PROOF CEILING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent 110.469,121, dated February16, 1892.

Application filed April 21, 1891. Serial No. 389,811. (No model.)

To all whom llt may concern.'

Be it known that I, PRESTON M. BRUNER, of the city of St. Louis, in theState of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inFire-Proof Ceilings, of which thefollowing is afull, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, formingpart of this specification.

My present invention relates to certain improvements in the generalclass of tire-proof ceilings shown, described, and claimed in LettersPatent of the United States No. 303,438, issued August 12, 1884, toLouis Lafond, and which is now owned by me, No. 356,7 03, issued to meJanuary 25, 1887, and No. 356,704, issued to me January 25, 1887.

My present invention consists in features of novelty hereinafterdescribed, and pointed out in the claims. I

Figure I isa vertical section illustrative of my invention and takencrosswise of the I- beams of the ceiling. Fig. IIis a vertical sectionon a smaller scale and taken lengthwise of the I-beams of the ceiling.Fig. III is a perspective view of one of the iire -proof plates ortiles, showing asingle pair of supportingribs located about the centeror middle of the tile. Fig. IV is a vertical section showing eachalternate tile or plate with two pairs of supporting-ribs and theintermediate tiles rabbeted to iit on the edges of the ribbed tile.

Fig. V is a perspective View of one of the ribless tiles shown in Fig.IV, and Fig. VI is a perspective view of one of the ribbed tiles shownin Fig. IV. Fig. VII is a vertical section representing still anotherform of tiles wherein each is provided with a pair of ribs at one edgeand the other edge provided with a rabbet to receive or rest upon theedge of its neighbor. Fig. VIII shows still a different form wherein arib is formed on the outer edge of each-tile andthe two ribs of theadjacent edges of two tiles forming a pair.

In carrying out my present invention I proceed by using such I-beams asare shown in the patents referred to and by the use of such bars asthose indicated by the letter C in the Lafond patent, or instead ofusing tlat bars rods or round bars of iron may be usedas, for instance,the rods N in my Patent No. 356,703. These bars or rods, which areindicated by the numeral 1 in the drawings of mypresent speciiication,rest with their ends upon the lower. flanges of the beams 2. In theLafond patent the ceiling plates or tiles E (the same parts areindicated by the numeral 3 in my present specification) were held inplace or supportedon hangers D, fitted over the bars C and having theirlower ends turned outwardly to receive and support the plates or tiles.In my present construction the hangers D are dispensed with and theplates or tiles 3 are provided with ribs 4, arranged in pairs, as shown,and adapted to embrace the bars 1. These ribs 4 may be placed in thecenter of the plates or tiles 3, as shown in Figs. II and III, with theadjacent edges of the plates or tiles litted together with a rabbetedjoint, as shown in Fig. II, or each alternate plate or tile may have twopairs of the ribs 4, as shown in Figs. IV and VI, and the intermediateplates or tiles may be made ribless (see Fig. V) and supported by havinga rabbet-joint, with the i plates or tiles having the ribs, as shown inFig. IV; or, again, the tiles or plates 3 may have a pair of ribs at ornear one edge, as shown in Fig. VII, andthe other edge of said plate hasa rabbet connection with the adjacent plate or tile; or, again, theplates or tiles may have one of a pair of ribs formed near the edge, asshown in Fig. VIII, the ribs of the adjacent edges of the two plates ortiles forming a pair, embracing the bars 1. I have thus shown how theribs on the plates may be modified as to location without departing fromthe spirit of my invention, and still other modifications might be madeor resorted to. When the plates or tiles are put in place, the spacebetween each pair of ribs is iilled with a grouting or cement 5, whichsoon hardens, and the tiles or plates are thus permanently made fast tothe bars 1 and held from any possible movement, while the lower surfaceor face of the ceiling is not distigured in any way by the appearance ofthe object which supports the plates or tiles. It will also be observedthat the bars 1 are completely inclosed and are located some distanceabove the lower surface of the plates or tiles, so that in case of firethey are not subjected to intense heat, and in the use of water in caseof lire they are entirely protected from the water. rlhe ribs 4 alsotend to strengthen the tiles,

fl N,

and after the tiles are in place a coating 6 of cement may be placedupon. them, and in order to get this coating of a substantially uniformthickness Without too much loss of time in measuring the thickness ofthe coating as it is put on I form shallow ribs or projections 7 r onthe upper surface of the tiles or plates,' and the coating is put on tothe height of these ribs. The coating serves to close the joints of thetiles or plates and serves to form a continuous surface, which adheresfirmly to the tiles or plates, so that in case a sect-ion of the tilesor plates should become cracked or fractured it will not fall, but willbe retained or held in place by the coating 6.

One very great advantage arising from my present form of ceiling residesin the fact that l the lower surface of the plates or tiles Will beperfectly smooth and level when .the ceiling is completed, regardless ofthe difference in thickness of the flanges of the I-beams, which makes adifference in the height of the bars 1, and regardless of any sag theremay be in the different bars, for it will be observed that the height ofthe space between yeach pair of ribs being greater than the Width of thebars the plates or tiles may be adjusted in height before the groutingis put in, When it will make no difference Whether one bar is nearer thetop of the ribs ythan another or not. In Fig. VI,I have shownone of thebars near the 5 bottom of the ribs and the other Vnear the top. s'

I claim as my inventionl. In a fire-proof ceiling, the combination 1 ofthe bars, the plates or tiles having ribs emribs and rabbeted togetherat their edges, and v the iillin g or groutin g adapted to support saidbarsout of contact with said ribs and plates, substantially as setforth.

3. In a fire-proof ceiling, the combination of the bars, the plates ortiles, each having a pair of ribs arranged approximatelyto each other toembrace the bars, with freedom for adj ustmentwith relation thereto,andva filling or grouting, substantially as Aand for the purpose set forth.

4. In va fire-proof ceiling, the combina-tion of the bars suitablysupported, the plates or tiles having ribs adapted to embrace the barsand receive a filling lor grouting, and a coating 6, substantially asand for the purpose set forth.

5. In a tireproof ceiling, the combination of the bars'suitablysupported, plates or tiles having ribs adapted to embrace the bars andto receive a filling or grouting, ribs 7 on the plates or tiles, and acoating 6, substantially as vand for the purpose .set forth.

PRESTON M.' BRUNER.

